In the fast-paced arena of customer relations, the ability to effectively communicate with clients through their preferred channels is crucial. Among these channels, SMS has emerged as a critical tool, offering immediacy and convenience for both parties. In light of this, I’d like to share our latest endeavours to enhance SMS capabilities within the Vtiger CRM ecosystem, focusing on the integration with Twilio and advanced unsubscribe processing.
SMS Integration with Twilio: A Seamless Experience
In a previous blog post, I discussed how we at Boru utilize a provider named Twilio to establish a two-way SMS communication with clients across various platforms. What stands out with Twilio is its robust API that allows us to capture and process SMS messages efficiently. This integration exemplifies our commitment to not only providing seamless communication but also ensuring compliance with legal requirements for business SMS.
The Imperative of Unsubscribe Functionality
By law, recipients must have the option to unsubscribe from business SMS, even if they previously consented. The usual practice is for recipients to send keywords like STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE to indicate their preference to opt out. Although Twilio keeps internal records of unsubscribed numbers, they do not offer clients direct access to this list. This scenario presents a unique challenge that we’ve adeptly addressed by devising an in-system unsubscribe processing mechanism within Vtiger.
Vtiger’s Unsubscribe Processing: Ensuring Compliance and Convenience
Upon receiving an unsubscribe notification via Twilio’s API, our system searches for the phone number in question and marks it accordingly with a checkbox feature titled unsubscribed SMS. This ensures that no further SMS can be sent to that number, maintaining compliance and respecting the recipient’s choice.
Tailored Customizations for Enhanced Management
Recognizing that some of our clients have extensive databases, which might include duplicate contact entries with the same phone number, we’ve implemented custom solutions. Our duplicate processing ensures that if one contact is marked as unsubscribed, all records sharing that phone number are updated simultaneously, safeguarding against any possibility of non-compliance.
Moreover, we’ve designed rules that automatically sort unsubscribed contacts into a Do Not Call or SMS list, facilitating better management and avoiding any inadvertent communication attempts. These customizations also involve a systematic check throughout the entire contact list every hour to confirm every unsubscribed contact remains flagged, ensuring a thorough and reliable process.
The Dual Safeguard: Vtiger and Twilio’s Combined Compliance
While our system assures that unsubscribed contacts are noted within Vtiger, Twilio also plays a vital role by preventing SMS from being sent to unsubscribed numbers on their end. This dual safeguard offers an extra layer of assurance, minimizing any chance of error and ensuring customers who opt out do not receive unwarranted messages.
It’s worth mentioning that all outgoing SMS should ideally inform recipients of their right to unsubscribe. We’ve tailored customizations to append this notice to all messages sent, maintaining transparency and trust with our clients’ customers.
Seamless SMS Integration for Vtiger Open Source Users
For those interested in incorporating SMS functionality within their Vtiger Open Source CRM, our narrative around unsubscribe capabilities should provide a sense of relief. By working closely with Twilio, we ensure that our clients can send SMS effortlessly while maintaining a favourable status with Twilio by avoiding being flagged as spam.
If the idea of integrating advanced SMS features or the customizations I’ve highlighted resonate with you, we at Boru are eager to assist. Our goal is to implement a system that not only facilitates effective communication but also adheres to compliance standards with ease.
Thank you for considering us as your partner in optimizing customer communication through Vtiger and Twilio SMS services. If you have any inquiries or desire to elevate your CRM experience with our custom solutions, please reach out. We’re ready to transform your communication strategy and help you maintain excellent customer relations.
